Men's Golf

Junior Cory Mehl Believes Broncos Are Ready to Win

Sep 08, 2010

By Carolyn Linck, '11

The Santa Clara University men's golf team is stacked with
talent and experience and have high hopes for the 2010-11 season.
Led by WCC Player of the Year, senior Scott
Travers, and U.S. Open Sectionals qualifier, junior Cory Mehl, the
Broncos are preparing to open the 2010 campaign on Monday,
September 13, at the Palouse Cougar Collegiate hosted by Washington
State University. Recently SantaClaraBroncos.com (SCB) had a
chance to sit down with junior co-captain Cory Mehl (CM) to get his
take on the upcoming year, the team's dynamic, and his evolving
role on the team.

SCB: How old were you when you started playing golf? Who
taught you the game?

CM: I have been playing golf since I can
remember. My dad brought me to the driving range and put my car
seat in the golf cart so I have been around golf all of my life.
My dad taught me all the fundamentals of the game, and we
still have a great time playing with each other today. He is my
inspiration.

SCB: You've had two great seasons playing golf at Santa
Clara. What are you looking forward to in your junior year? What
are your goals on a team and individual level?

CM: This season I am looking to win tournaments
individually and as a team. If I can win individually I feel like
that would help the team, so that is my goal entering every
tournament. I feel like I have matured a lot in my time at
SCU and am ready to win and become a top player in the WCC.
As a team, I believe we should win the WCC Championship. I
really think this is our year. We are the most talented team
in our conference and we have a lot of experience.

SCB: What's the dynamic like on the team? Are you all
really close? Do you help each other out when you're having
problems with your game?

CM: The dynamics on our team are good. We're
all very competitive and everyone pushes each other to become
better everyday. We have a lot of fun on and off the course,
but it's most fun when we win.

SCB: Now, as an upperclassman, do you feel your role on
the team has changed?

CM: At the beginning of freshman year I
struggled to travel and was on the bottom of the totem pole. Now,
going into my junior year I am the co-captain, so my role has
definitely changed. I feel I have made a lot of
progress. Hopefully I'll keep improving my game in the rest
of my time at SCU.

SCB: What do you think is the strongest part of your
game right now and what aspects are you working to
improve?

CM: The strongest part of my game is probably
my short game, but my long game has improved over the summer. I
have been working a lot on my mental game and being able to
concentrate during intense situations when I need to perform.

SCB: What has been your favorite moment playing golf at
Santa Clara so far?

CM: My favorite moment was winning in Palm
Springs as a team last year. It is not easy to win a
tournament in college – about 13 teams are in the field every
time – and in golf it is always tough to win. That's why it
really felt awesome to break through and know that our team is
capable of doing great things.

SCB: What was it like playing in the U.S. Open
Sectionals?

CM: Sectionals was fun, and it was a good
experience to play with the pros. It made me feel good about my
game because I could hang with them in a tournament. I am not quite
at their level yet, and it is going to take a lot of hard work, but
I feel like I am capable of competing with professionals.